Stories of the Light
by Princess Reinette
Summary: Tessa and Jace's first conversation. Written for a facebook challenge. Includes a bit of Magnus as well!


**Prompt Piece! I found a lovely prompt on the facebook page "He is William Herondale, and she is his only weakness." They're pretty great, go check them out! This story will be up on their page *possibly* in about a week. But I'm posting it here too because I haven't put anything up in a while so... here.**

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Jace could hear voices drifting down the hall as he slipped towards the library. One was Maryse; he would know her Institute Head voice anywhere, as she used it mostly when Jace was in trouble. The second, sounding uncharacteristically restrained, was Alec's favorite ancient boy toy, Magnus. He couldn't place the third, although it sounded like it belonged to a girl.

They were obviously deep in conversation, as neither the warlock nor Maryse noticed him at the door, even after quite a bit of time. The girl, surprisingly, was the first to notice him. She placed her hand gently on Magnus's arm, and nodded purposefully towards the door. Her face was pale, as if she had seen a ghost, and it contrasted greatly with the brown curls framing her face, pulled back in the same way Clary did her hair when she was going out.

"There you are, Jace. _Mr. Bane_ has _insisted_ upon bringing someone for you to meet." Maryse stood, and gestured towards the young lady seated next to Magnus.

"Now, now, Mrs. Lightwood, no need to get all upset. Ms. Gray would simply like to meet the boy the world has heard so much about.

Maryse sighed. "Fine. I have some business to attend to. Try not to destroy my home too much while you're here." She swept out of the room with one last grimace, and Jace was left on his own.

"Well then, Magnus, who's this? It is rather rude not to introduce your guests, especially when you've brought them uninvited." Jace grinned, pleased at the uncomfortable look on Magnus's face. The warlock rolled his sparkly green eyes and opened his mouth, probably to bite back a retort, but the girl beat him to it. She stood and held out her hand with a grace that Izzy would probably kill to have.

"My name is Tessa. Tessa Herondale."

Jace gaped openly at her for a moment, and then, when his finely tuned reflexes kicked in, pulled a Seraph blade into his hand and ignited it in less than a second. He positioned it defensively, and would have attacked _Tessa_ if Magnus hadn't sighed dramatically.

"I _told _you, darling, you shouldn't have used William's name. That was stupid." Tessa glared at him and then turned back to Jace.

"Brandishing swords in stranger's faces is not very polite, you know. Now will you please put that away so I can explain properly?" Jace noticed for the first time that the woman's voice held a very strange accent, a mix between English and one from an older New York. Somehow, it suited her.

"There are no more Herondales. I'm the last. I don't know what game you're playing, but you obviously haven't heard enough about me if you think I'll put up with it. And by the _Angel_ if you try and tell me you're my sister I will destroy you right now." His tone was dangerously low, but the other two occupants didn't seem to notice.

Tessa smiled softly. "I am not your sister. Or your cousin, or great-aunt, or any of that. It's all very complicated, but I assure you I am rightfully a Herondale. I apologize that you do not know who I am; I'm afraid it's my own fault for not being very… _involved_ in our family for quite some time now. I would… I would like to rectify that, if you'd let me?"

Jace still stood defensively, not ready to give even the slightest amount of leeway to this very strange girl.

"Please listen to her, Jace, she might have some stories you'd like to hear quite a lot." There was a long pause before Jace finally put the blade down. He crossed his arms over his chest, and motioned for her to begin. She sat down lightly on the sofa before beginning to speak.

"I suppose my story truly begins the day I smashed a pitcher over the head of a boy named William Herondale." She smiled wistfully. He seemed very ordinary at the time; workman's clothes, an accent that, while unfamiliar, was expected, and a smile that could light up the world."

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**That's it! What do you think?**

**-Reinette**


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